Method of and apparatus for discharging the waters of reservoirs



v C. L. ERVIN. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING THE'WATERS 0F RESERVOIRS.

- APPLICAHON FILED FEB. I. 1921.

Patented Oct. 24, 1922* INVENTYOR. m 2. M, Y W 2 ATTORNEY.

Patented Get. 2 3 i922.

CHARLES L. ERVIN, 033 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

Is'ilil'rxifil? OE All]? APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING HATE-RS 0Z8" RESERVOIRS.

Application filed February To 355 whom may concern.

Be .e l sown that I, CrmnLns L, Envrn, citizen 0 the United idtatcs, residing Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of' Cali'tornia, have invented a new and useful Improved Method of and Apparatus for Discharging the Waters of Reservoirs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a method of, and apparatus for, discharging the waters of reservoirs and the like and it has for its object to provide a novel water discharging method and apparatus of the general character stated by means of which the gradual filling up of reservoirs and the like due to the depositing of silt on the bottoms is prevented.

Frequently reservoirs are constructed by placing a dam across a water course, can yon or the like, to restrain or impound the waters normally flowing'therethrough and control the same as to the discharge thereof for irrigation, power purposes, and the like, due to the depositing of sediment, or silt on the bottom of the artificial lakeor pond so formed it frequently becomes necessary to abandon the same entirely as it fills with sediment or silt which has settled on the lake or pond bottom.v v

In accordance with the invention I provide apparatus for discharging the water from such reservoir by means of which wa ter may be taken from a plurality or multiplicity of points on the reservoir bottom, the silt beinginducted, into the discharge pipe and discharged" with the water; in the preferred form of apparatus 1 provide a branched discharge pipe having a main discharge gate at the darn orother place of water discharge or control and which pipe with its branches is disposed at the reservoir bottom; at a plurality of points water inlet valves are provided in the pipe and its branches, so to admit'the discharging water to the pipe from a'plurality of points or stations which are generally distributed over the lake bottom.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the general character stated which will be relatively simple and inexpensive, in construction and organization when its advantages such as the preservation of the proper reservoir depth, low cost of installation, and general superiority in service are considered.

1, 1921. Serial No. 4'=l,555.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel and useful provision, formation, combination, association, relative arrangement, and mode of operation of parts, members and features, all as hereinafter described, shown in the drawing, and finally pointed out in claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view, partly diagrammatic, of a reservoir equipped with apparatus constructed and organized in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary ver tical sectional detail view taken on the line X X Figure 1, and looking in the direction of'the' appended arrows; and

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional detail view showing a modified form of inlet valve controlling means.

The parts in the several figures are designated by reference characters.

, Referring with particularity to the draw ing, in the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2, A designates a dam, B designatesa main gate or discharge valve, C designates a branched discharge pipe, D designates in each instance, an inlet valve with its operating means, and E designates controlling meansfor the operating means.

The dam is conventionally shown as lying across a gorge or canyon to impound the water of a lake formed at b behind the dam A, the water being omitted in Figure 1 for clearness of illustration.

The main gate or discharge valve B is shown as located at the dam A where the same is apertured as at 4 to permit the discharge pipe to pass therethrough. The valve B comprises a casing 5 and a valve proper 6 controlled as to extent of opening, and as to the closing thereof by means of operating means 7 which may be of any standard or preferred form, in accordance with the preference of the designer, and which operating or controlling means 7 may be located if desired in the control room or house 8 shown as located on the dam A,

The branched discharge pipe B is shown as comprisinga trunk pipe line 9 the discharge end of which terminates in the valve casing 5, and a plurality of lateral branch pipes 10 each joined at one end with the trunk 9, as by means of a cross or fitting 11 comprised within the trunk line 9. At its outer'end, each branch pipe is closed by a cap 12 and is provided with a water inlet orifice 13 where a portion of the ipe is cut away to form a valve seat 14. X valve D controls the admission of water to each branch pipe and such valves D each comprise a valve per se 15 and a stem 16. Each stem 16 passes through a bore 17 in a lifting electro-magnet 18 one of which is supported above each inlet valve by means of legs 19 secured to the respective branch pipe 10. An armature 20 is fixed to each valve stem in position to be attracted by the respective magnet upon energization of the same by means of an electric current. The magnets constitute the valve operating means and the controlling means E therefor is shown as a system of cables 21 leading to the point of control or house on the dam from each electromagnet; each set of cables, which are properly insulated and connected with the respective magnet windings,as will be readily understood by persons skilled .in the art, is connected with a suitable switch 22 located in the control house and through which electrical energy may be supplied to the cables leading to any of the valve operating means. Acage 23 maybe placed over each inlet valve and its operating means to prevent the entrance of brush and the like through the water inlet orifices in the pipes.

Valves D may be, placed in the main trunk line 9 as well as in the branch pipes 10 intermediately of the ends thereof so as to provide the required number of pointsof water inlet to properly prevent the filling of the valves to be operated, after discharging water from the reservoir, the pipes will be kept full of water and the necessity for opening the inlet valves against a head of water is obviated. V v p In employing the modified form of controlling means shown in Figure 8, I provide a valve stem 24 for each inlet valve, shown at 25; each such valve stem isheld against rotation by means of a spline 0r feather 26 provided at one of its guides 26 and taking a into a longitudinal keyway or groove 27 in the stem 24; the stems 24 are each threaded at their upper ends, above the water level,

and are each operated by means of a hand wheel 28 internally threaded to fit the stem and held against longitudinal movement by a collar 29 secured thereto and taking into claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A reservoir having a plurality of water discharge orifices generally distributed over the bottom area thereof, a valve for controlling the flow through each orifice, electromagnetic means for actuating each valve, and a centralized means of control for supplying electrical energy to said actuating means; and whereby the valves may be operated in sequence. I

2. A reservoir having a water'discharge conduit and a plurality of water discharge orifices generally distributed over the bottom area of the reservoir and establishing communication with the interior of said conduit, a valve for controlling the flow through each orifice, means for operating said valves, and

a main valve for controlling the discharge of water from said conduit and normally maintaining a supply of water in said conduit, and means for operating said valve.

3. The herein disclosed method of maintaining reservoirs which consists in discharging the water thereof and the silt carried thereby from all sections of the reservoir through. a multiplicity of orifices provided at the reservoir bottom and generally distributed over thebottom area thereof, controlling the flow at the orifices to cause water and silt to pass through the orifices in sequence, and controlling the discharge of water from the reservoir at a main discharge orifice.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presenceof I two subscribing witnesses. 

